Automatic merchandise displaying device



April 25, 1933. A. PERLING 1,905,351

AUTOMATIC MERCHANDISE DISPLAYING DEVICE Filed May 29, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Alb lygmgn WITNESS er er a2 9,

BY MLLQ,

ATTORNEY April 25, 1933.

A. PERLING AUTOMATIC MERCHANDISE DISPLAYING DEVICE Filed May 29. 1930 4 Sheebs-Sheet 2 ATTORN EY INVENTOR Albert P 7;

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WITNESS April 25, 1933. A. PERLING 1,905,351

AUTOMATIC MERCHANDISE DISPLAYING DEVICE Filed May 29, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Y Q 3 w IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIII.

' INVENTOR Albert Perlin BY M9 26 ATTORNEY WITNESS April 25, 1933.

Filed May 29, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 w m m W n We A Pf J Y wB Q A m b a 6 *5 $5 NAQ A w 9 w gm 0 M. mm mw mw NHQ M E 1. m g g is 2/ w rt E CL Patented Apr. 25, 1933 PATENT OFFICE,

ALBERT FEELING, OF PARIS, KENTUCKY AUTOMATIC MERCKANDISE DISPLAYING DEVICE Application filed May 29, 1930. Serial no. 457,102.

This invention relates to display devices, and is more particularly concerned with a display device mounting and periodically moving in succession a series of dresses, etc. and

constructed automaticallyto display in suc-. cession the fronts and backs of a series of dresses or other articles with successive pauses between movements of the dresses permitting inspection of their fronts and backs.

A. device of this character is shown in my prior Patent No. 1,717,246, granted June 11, 1929 and the present invention constitutes an improvement thereon in respect to the dress supporting and displaying mechanism an-din that provision is made for successively displaying for view from one position of observation the front and back of one dress, and

for the display of two different dresses at the same time, with the front displaying dress,

9 for example, subsequently moved and posi:

tioned to display its back view and the front of a; succeeding dresscoincidently displayed for view, thus providing means for displaying successively the front and back view of each of a series of entirely difierent dresses, suits or cloaks, for example. I

One feature of'the invention consists in the provision of a trackway supported from a base and having a curved portion, with a row 39 of movable display units mounted upon a portion of the trackway and provision of means for intermittently moving successive display units around a curved portion of the track way, with intervening inspection periods be- "3 tween movements of successive units. With such a mechanism, different views, such as front and back views of a unit carried display will be successively presented to view from an observation point at one end of the track with 49 the interval between successive movements of the units providing time for inspection of'different views. v 7

Another object of the invention is the provision with a trac'kway having curved end and connecting side portions and a row of movable dispay units mounted on each side portion between itsopposite curved ends, of power driven means for intermittently moving successive end display units from opposite 9 ends of opposite side portions of the tra'ckway around the opposite curved ends thereof 'in the same rotative direction to the oppositesides of said curved ends and step by stepfwith;

the row of units at that side longitudinally of the side portions in the same rotative direction, with intervening inspection periods between movements ofsuccessive units. With such a mechanism, successive ones of the rows of display units at opposite sides of the trackway are individually moved around the curved ends of the trackway at successive intervals, so that a complete circulation of the display units is secured with each display unit passing around the opposite curvedends of the trackway and with the display observable from either end. Other features and advantages will be apparent as the invention is later developed in descriptive detail.

Such a device maybe used to advantage in the show windows or display rooms of stores and shops and hasthe advantage, in addi tion to'its display function, of attracting attention and securing inspection of displays.

The invention consists in the construction,

arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter described and claimed and will be more clearly apparent fromthe followingdetailed specification which is to be read in conjunction. with the accompanying drawings formin'g'partthereof, and in which Figure 1 is-a front end elevation ofa display device constructedqin accordance with the presentinvention. e 1 t Figure 2 is a top plan View thereof.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 33 of Figure 2. r v v Figure 4; is a detail inside elevation on an enlarged scale of two adjacent hangerunits on the'side of the trackway with the actuator arm riding'down thelcamming incline of a cam way to engage "the rear abutment face of an outer hanger-unit to initiate movement thereof. t

Figure?) is a top'plan view of a modified form of the invention employing dual actuatingarms. r

Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line '66 of Figure5. Referring particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3,:it will be seen that a trackway 1, which may be circular in cross section, is provided with opposite curved ends 2 and 3 connected by side portions 4 and 5 shown as straight and parallel but which may be curved or otherwise as desired. This trackway is supported by a plurality of relatively thin flat spokes '6 radiating outwardly from a hub 7 centrally apertured and fitting over and secured to the upper end of a tubular supporting standard 8 whose lower end extends through a vertical bore 9 formed in the upper end of a hollow base 10 and is fixed therein by a seriesof bolts 11 inserted through a boss 12 edging the bore 9 and into the lower end of the tubular standard 8.

Preferably, and as shown in Figure 3, the

hollow base is formed of a cupped metal casting having flanges 13 extending inwardly fromits lower edges which are designed torest upon the floor or other stable support. A plate 14 is supported on these flanges and fixed thereto and mounts on its upper face a small electric driving motor 15 having a pulley 16 mounted on the extended end of its shaft. Beneath and in axial alinement with the tubular standard 8 is a gear casing 17 of suitable construction in which is j ournaled and from which extends vertically upward a driving shaft 18 rotated through belt drive and intervening reducing gearing from the driving pulley 16 of the motor. This reducing gearing may take any suitable form, such for example, as aworm gear on shaft 18 meshing with a worm on the transverse shaft 19 which projects outwardly from the casing and carries a pulley or other driving element 20 thereon connected by a belt or other wrappingconnector 21 with the pulley 16 of the driving motor. A tubular sleeve 22 of lesser tating actuating arm for certain display units mounted on the trackway as hereinafter described "and extends radially outward from thehub 7 and shaft 18 and has its outer end bifurcated as at 25, Figure 2. The' inner end of an actuating arm 26 is pivotally mounted between bifurcation 25 on a horizontal pivot stud 27 for upward and downward movement in a vertical plane. The outer end of the actuating arm,'which is of rectangular cross section, has its lower face bevelled upwardly to substantially triangular cross sectlon, as

shown in Figure 4, and its outer end curved inwardly and rearwardly, as shown in Fig.

2, for cooperating with the abutment faces ofa series of individually movable display units mounted on the trackway.

As shown in Figure 2, a series or row of individually movable display units 28 are mounted in abutting relation on the opposite side portions 4 and 5 of the trackway between the opposite curved ends 2 and 3 thereof. These display units 28 are in efiect rolling hangers-to receive articles to be displayed, such as dresses, coats, su1ts, etc; and,

cross section of the trackway 1 to permit the insertion of the units thereon. .Within the hollow interior 29 of these casings above and below the horizontal slot 30 are mounted a pair of tracks embracing concaved rollers 31 revolubly mounted on spindles 32 extending through the opposite side walls of v the casings and engaged and retained in position by nuts 33 threading on their outer ends. Suitably attached to the bottom face of each casing is a clip 34 having a depending hook 35 designed to receive the supporting hook 36 of a garment hanger 37 as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The upper ends of the rear faces 38 of these hanger unit casings consti tute abutment or thrust receiving faces for the forward end face of the actuating arm 26 and the forward top faces of the casings are provided with a downwardly inclined bevel 39, best seen in Figure 4, to permit the lower beveled face 26a' of the end of the actu ating arm 26 to slide downwardly over this incline on the top of the next to end unit of a row to bring the forward face of said arm against the rear abutment face 38 of the end unit aslwill be clear from Figure 4 and as later described in the operation. These downwardly inclined bevels are diagonal to the top face of the unit casings on lines which, as will be seen from Figure 2, are substantially radial to the shaft 18 representing the axis of rotation of the arm 26 so that the rotative path of'movement of the arm with its downward component of movement permitted by its pivotal mounting 25 willniove vided for guiding this arm to effect move ment of an end display unit 28 at one side portion of the trackway around the adjacent curved endthereof to the opposite side of Cir the trackway to impact theunits at'that' side of the trackway andxmove them one stepforthrusting engagement with the abutment: end

of the unit at the opposite end of the trackway at that same side moving that unit around the opposite curved end of the trackway to the opposite or first side portion to impact the row of units at that first side and move them forwardly one step in the direction of rotation of the arm; the arm thereafter being lifted from contact with the unit and guided forwardly to engage the outermost unit and start the cycle over again. This mechanism functions in a sense as a pawl and ratchet, the arm 26 constituting the pawl.

To thus control the unit operating movements of the arm 26, the following means is provided; 7 Supported from and spanningpairs of radial track supporting arms 6 at each side of the longitudinal median line of the'trackway (which includes the axis-18 of rotation of the arm 26) are arm controlling cams 40. As best seen in Figures 2 and 3, these cams are in the form of bars elevated above and spanning pairs of radial arms 6 and formed with opposite upwardly inclined elevating and depressing end bar portions 41 and 42, respectively, uprising diagonally from the respective pairs of radial arms 6 and connected by an intermediatehorizontal dwell orelevation maintaining portion 43, the respective bar elevating and depressing end portions ofthese cams being reversed at opposite sides of the longitudinal median line of the trackway as shown in-Figure 2to' have the elevating and depressing or lowering portions function in succession-in the continued rotation of'the arm-26', through a complete revolution about its axis. i

With the described construction inmind,

' the operation of the form ofthe device shown in Figures 1' and 4, inclusive, will be as follows: Assume that at the start of the oper ation, the outer end of the arm 26, is positioned, as shown in dotted lines at A, Figure 2, at the end of the side portion ofthe track way adjacent to its curved end 3, to which position it is lowered through'the camportion to rest the forward face of its actuating end against the abutment face 38 of the endmost unit 28, as shown in Figure 4, which endmost unit in Figure 2 is shown in dotted lines; rotation of the arm 26' through shaft 18 commences in a counterclockwise direction. As the arm moves in this direction, it con tinues to lower until its lower face rests on the trackwa-y- 1 immediately in rear of the unit 28 and moves said unit on its roller over the'traclrway l toward the opposite side portion 4 of the traclrway. The midway position of the arm 26 and the display unit 28 whichyitis thus actuating-is shown in full lines at the side of Figure 2,. The; arm con- I tinues to rotate counterclockwise from this. full, line position toward the opposite side portion 4 ofthe trackway until the-movingv unit'28 abuts the adjacent endunit 28' of A the row on that side portion '4 at which point the under face of-theiarm 26 contacts with the elevating incline 41' of thecam 40 at that side of the trackway and begins to lift thearm 26 as the arm continues to rotate,the;

lifting movement being figuredto terminate when the actuated display unit 28 has ab uttedand moved the row of units 28 at trackwayside 4 to the extent of the length of oneunit, moving the unit 28 at the opposite end. of the row to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 at theupper left hand end: At this point, the arm 26 clears the displayunits and continues to move overthe elevated honia i zontal dwell portion 43 of the cam, clearing.- all intermediate units. I The loweringqportion 42 of the cam, however, is so positioned as to lower'theouter end ofthe arm 26 asiift passesover the bevel 39 on the top face of the now next to end unit, lowering the end of the arm to Contact with the abutment face 38' ofthe now end unit (shown in dotted lines, Figure'2l' in the manner suggested in Figure '4 so that continued rota-tion of-the arm Willmove said end unit around the opposite curved end-2 of 'thetrackway to abutting relation with the adjacent end unit 2,8; at the side portion 5 and advance that row to the extent of the length of one unit at which point the elevating portion 41 of the cam 40 I V of that side of the trackway has functioned to lift the arm 26 to clear the row of units with its dwell portion 43 acting and maintaining the arm out of contact until'it ap-' proaches the opposite end unit po'sition correspondingto the first unit acted upon: when the lowering incline 42 of the cambri-ngs it into contact with thatvunit. This will complete a cycle or revolution ofthe-actuating' vide intervening inspection periods of time between movements of successive units and each individual unit of the whole series is thus intermittently moved around a curved end of the. trackway."

will be seen that a spectator standing to View one curved end portionof thetrackway Wllfl, as suggested in Figure 1', view the front of a dress at the left side before the display unit i is moved and at the completion of the movevment of .thedisplay unit to the opposite side of the trackway around its'curved end will view the back of the same dress at the right side with the front of another dress displayed at the left side and so on. Thus the appearance of the front an'd'back of each garment or other exhibit carried by the display units are successively disclosed during successive inspection periods and by reason'of the intermittent movement of the display units at each curvedendof the trackway, the same dresses may be seen, thus displayed, by persons 7 standing at the opposite ends of the trackway the length of the arm 26 as shown in full lines in Figure 2 coincides substantially with the radius of the circle represented by the curved ends 2 and 3 of the trackway. Obviously, these ends may be on a curvesomewhat' greater than the curvature of the circle, or less, with the length of the'arm 26 Varied correspondingly and of an over-all dlmenslon to extend over the trackway at the most distant point of the latter from its axis of rotationr In Figures 5 and 6, I have shown a modified arrangement embodying the same 0perative principles but adapting the device, in principle, to carry a greater-number of exhibit or display units. In this form of the device, the trackway will have greater longitudinaldimension to provide a greater unit storage length for its side portions 44 anc 45. Its curved end portions 46 and 47 will preferably be formed on the curvature of a circle and the trackway will be supported by fiathorizontally extending arms 48 radiating from a hub 49 corresponding to the hub 7 of the first form of the device and similarly supported upon the upper end of a tubular supporting standard 50. corresponding to the standard 8, the base and operating connections being similar to those shown 'in the first form of Figures 14. A sleeve 51 corre sponding to the sleeve 22 extends upwardly through the central bore of the hub 49 and encloses a drive shaft 52 corresponding'to thedrive shaft 8 of the first formfof the device. Seated over the upper end of the sleeve 51 and clamped thereon and to the drive shaft to rotate therewith by the nut tudinal median line of the trackway meshes at diametrically opposite points in said median line with arm driving gears 55 and 56 having hub sleeves 57 projecting from opposite upper and lower faces thereof and extending at their lower faces downwardly through bearing bosses 58 upstanding from the top faces of transverse bars 59 cross connecting divergent'radial arms 48at the opposite curved endsof the trackway with the axis of the hubs representing, preferably, the center of the circle on which the curvature of the ends 46 and 47 are generated. The lower faces of the gears 5556 rest on and have suitable bearing contact with the bosses 58. The upper ends of the hub sleeves 57 support the under faces of yoke arms 60 having bifurcated outer ends mounting the inner ends of actuating arm 61 and corresponding to the yokes and actuating arms of the first form of the invention,- therefore requi'ring no further detailed description. Preferably, a short vertical shaft 62 extends through and is fixed with the hub sleeve 57 to rotate therewith the upper and lower ends of the shafts projecting beyond the yoke 60 and the lower end of the hub sleeve 57 being engaged by nut 63 threaded thereon and rigidly clamping the yokes 60 to the gear hub sleeves 57 to rotate therewith. I

The gears 54, 55, 56 extend in the same horizontal plane, with the yokes 60 elevated substantially thereabove and the arm 61 normally by gravity tending to drop down to rest upon the edge of the trackway at'their outer ends. In accordance with the cams 4O of'Figur'es 1-4, cam arms 64 extend oppositely inward from the transverse supporting bars 59 toward the hub of the central actuating gear 54. These cam arms are curved upon the axis 62 of rotation of the gears, 55*56 and are substantially semi-circular in top plan view as shown in Figure 5. They'are concentric with and outwardly of the edges of the gears 55 and 56 and are provided, as shown in Figure 6, with opposite arm elevating and depressing end portions 65 and 66v respectively and an intermediate horizontal dwell portion 67. The display units 68 which are arranged in rows at the opposite side portions 44 and 45-of the trackway correspond in structure to the display units 28 of the first form of the invention and need not be further described. Their c0- operationwith the actuating arm is similar with the only difference in operation consistingin the fact that the opposite end arms 61- function only to move the end display units at their end of the 'trackway, the dwell portion 67 of their cams being effective for approximately of the revolution of the arms to maintain them in a plane out of en-- gagement with any of the display units during their sweep inwardly over the inner half of their circle of movement. a

Preferably, in order to provide adequate inspection intervals between the successive movements of the displaying units by the two arms 61, their gears 55 and 56 are meshed with the central driving gear 54 to cause the arms to extend in substantially 45 angular.

a as 44 to the opposite side portion, as 45, and

from that opposite side portion 45 back again to the first side portion 44, the movements of the respective arms 61 being figured to not only slide an individual unit around the curved end of the trackway but through that unit to impart step by step longitudinal movement to the rows of units at the side of the trackway to which the unit is swung as in the first form of the device by utilizing two arms 61 with their axes of rotation in the longitudinal median line of the trackway and sufficiently spaced to prevent interference. Substantially longer side portions 44 and 45 of a trackway may be provided and a substantially greater number of display units may be mounted thereon with the movement of individual units maintained at the proper speed of exhibit by reason of the use of duplicate actuating arms. principle is effective in both forms of the device, each of which, as shown, while repre senting a preferable form of the invention, is intended only as illustrative thereof and not as restrictive and is subject to structural modification and change to adapt the invention to different conditions of manufacture and use in consonance with the'spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to obtain by Letters Patent is 1. A display rack comprising a base, a trackway supported from said base in a horizontal plane having a curved end portion and connected side portions, a row of individually movable display units mounted on each side portion of the trackway and having spaced abutments thereon, an actuating arm mounted and operative revolubly to swing in a horizontal plane through an arc including the curved end of the trackway and side portions adjacent thereto, said arm including an outer operating end supported for movement in a vertical path coincidently with swinging movement in a horizontal plane, and arranged to contact said display unit abutments bodily to move individual units over said trackway, and a cam way cooperating with' said outer arm portion and formed to 0. use said outer arm to move vertically to engage the abutment of an end unit of the row of display units on one side por- The same operative tion of the'trackway and to, swing with said unit around the curved end of "said way to the opposite side portion thereof to contact said unit with the rowof unitson said opposite side portion and impart. de-

terminate coincident bodily: movement to saidnnityandthe contacted row of units lo ngitudinally of said side portiomthereafter to vertically movesaid outer arm from tr cying contact with said unit and to deter1ni-- nately inaintain it in such. inoperative position and then vertically to move it to engage and move the next end unit on the first nained side portion of vthe tracliway around the curved endthereof on the next revolution of said arm. v H i i Adisplay rack comprising a base ja continuous trackway supported from said base in a horizontal plane having opposed curved end and connectingside portions, a

row of, individually 'mbv'atle display u i s mounted upon each side portion of the trackway in abutting contacting relation with said units having spaced abutments on their upper portions, an arm mounted and operaftiverevolubly to swing in a horizontal plane vertically spaced from 'that of said trackway and units through an arc including, a curved endportion of the trackway and side portions adjacent thereto, said arm having an outer operating :portion mounted for swinging movement in a vertical plane toward and from said trackway and units'coincidently with its bodily'horizontal swing-v ing movement, and means for guiding said outer arm position for vertical movement during each revolution thereof to cause said outer portion to engage and move a single display unit from one end of a row at one side portion of the trackway around the ad-l jacent curved end portion thereof to the opposite side portion and for a determinate distance with the row of units at that opposite side portion, longitudinally of said side portion, and thereafter to move vertically to release the engaged unit and to swing through a determinate arc in a horizontal plane without contact with display units.

3. A display rack comprising a base, a continuous horizontal trackway, a support upstanding from said base, a plurality of supporting arms radiating from said support and rigidly connected to the inner sides of said trackwa y, cams mounted upon certain of said arms and projecting above said; .trackway, a series of display units movably mounted on said trac-kway, each of said display units having abutment surfaces, a rotatable means including a vertically movable arm, said arms adapted to engage said cams continuous trackway supported from said,

base in a horizontal plane having opposed curved ends and connecting side portions, a row vof-individually movable display units mounted upon each side portion of the track- Way in abutting contacting relation and having spaced abutments on their upper por tions, a rotatable arm mounted adjacent each curved end portion of the trackway, means forsimultan'eously rotating said arms, said 1O arms including an outer operating end sup- 7 ported for movement in a vertical path coincidently withrotary movement thereof and arranged to contact said display unit abutments, and a respective cam member coopl 'erating'with the outer end of each of said arms and formed to cause said outer end to move vertically to engage the abutment of an end unit of the row of display units on a one side portion of the trackWay and to V 2 swing with said unit around the curved portions of the trackway to the opposite side thereof to contact said unit with the row of units on opposite side'porti'ons and impart bodily movement to the contacted roW of units, thereafter to Vertically movefand maintain said outer operating ends from contact "with said units and then vertically, move said operating ends to engage and move the next end unit on the next revolution of said W arms. 7 V

" ALBERT PERLING. 

